1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector provided with a shorting terminal and to a respective connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
An airbag of an automotive vehicle has a circuit with a pair of terminal fittings. A potential difference between the terminal fittings could cause the airbag to operate inadvertently when the circuit is opened for maintenance or other reason. Accordingly, an airbag circuit typically includes a shorting terminal to prevent a potential difference between the terminal fittings.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-252012 discloses an airbag connector with two terminal fittings accommodated in a female housing. A mounting space for a shorting terminal is defined below these two terminal fittings, and the terminal fittings are shorted by a shorting terminal mounted into this mounting space from the front. A detecting terminal also is mounted in the female housing and is connected with a mating detecting terminal to close a detection circuit when the female housing is connected properly with a mating male housing. Thus, proper connection of the two housings can be detected electrically.
The above-described connector indirectly guarantees that a short circuit by the shorting terminal is opened if the detection circuit by the detecting terminal is closed. However, there has been a demand for an easy mechanical method to detect whether a shorted state of the terminal fittings has been released.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to detect mechanically whether or not a shorted state of a pair of terminal fittings has been released.